The Warrior by Joyce Swann

The Warrior by Joyce Swann


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Warrior by Joyce Swann

this is a tremendous book about the power of prayer, it starts with a dream. Elizabeth has a dream that feels so real and in it she sees a young man in motorcycle accident as she drives the highway and her car is going so fast she cannot stop but looks back as she passes and sees the young man looking strangly like he might be transcending to heaven so she yells "Dont die if you dont know Jesus". then she awakens to feel that this is real and that she needs to pray for him. As time goes on she prays many times for this young man and even names him "Timothy" and starts a journal of her thoughts and prayers for him.
Elizabeth has a wonderful husband and two little girls and they are living a good life with lot of material things but thier lives are touched by God and they live to help others.
The girls Tracy & Molly are both beautiful girls but different as night and day in their personalities. Molly never seems to feel she is good enough and as she grows up she makes many wrong choices in life.
James Goodwin almost dies from his motorcycle accident but still lives his life for himself doing what feels good. He returns home to recuperate but feels uncomfortable with his parents attitude about church and religon which he wants no part of.

Both the lives of Molly and James seem to spiral downward into darkness and evil as they move through life. They both seem to want to destroy any small part that they know is good. unbeknownst to them they both have a strong prayer warrior working for them. Elizabeth has a strong faith and she feels the need to pray at times when both of these young people seem to be going through some rough spots in their lives.
James finally has a judge send him to rehab instead of jail and it is here where he reluctanly begins a change in his thinking. He gets a job and goes to a church Celebrate Recovery(CR) grp that meets on friday nights and meets many people that want to help him. He decides he doesnt want to go to jail so for 1 yr he will do this CR stuff and act like he is getting it, so everyone will leave him alone but little does he know that when you live something for so long it becomes a habit and It takes much time but he finally "gets" the program and
becomes a part of it. He finally lives for Jesus and works in the CR program to help others.
James works in construction field as a finisher and meets Boomer Anderson when he comes to Texas on a business trip and they like one another though they are miles apart, Boomer is rich and has everything and James is just a young man working for a living. The two seem to have things in comon though and Boomes "likes" this young man. He sends him a pr of expensive handmade boots as a thank you after his meetings are over and he leaves town. James is surprised but pleased with the gift.
The lives of Molly and James finally collide and he tries to help her get off the merry-go-round life of destruction she is living after she lands in the hospital from a beating she was given by her then boyfriend. She is reluctant and enters the CR program at first because she is lonely and desperate.
James and Molly are drawn together and in time realize they love one another and when they go to meet her parents James meets Elizabeth and soon realizes who Boomer and Elizabeth are and how he has met Boomer before. When Elizabeth realizes that James is her "Timothy" she is overcome and he too with the thought that for all these years she has been praying for HIM. Now they meet and both cannot believe how God has worked to bring them altogether..
Reading the story of James and Molly and their prayer warrior was a different type of book for me but I felt happy to turn the pages and see what would happen next in the lives of these people. I am sure you will get insight into how Prayer can and does help.

I was given this book by the author for an honest review and feel that I was blessed to have had the opportunity to read this story. Thank you....




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"The Discovery" by Dan Walsh

The Discovery: A Novel by Dan Walsh


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"The Discovery" by Dan Walsh

This is my first book read by Dan and I am in love. What a writer, I will be reading more of this man's stories.

Michael Warner has loved his gramps all his life and there most likely was some hero worship in there too. Michael wanted to be a writer and Gramps was a literary giant whose novels sold in the millions.
Today though was a sad one as Gramps has died and the will is to be read and the family inherits all his worldly possessions. Michael knows this will change his life drasticly as he and others in the family will inherit a lot of money.
Micaels sister Marilyn has a quest to find out more about their grandpa, she is into the ancestry bit and is quite puzzled when there seems to be no family beyond their grandparents, she thinks there must be a secret and she wants to know what it is.
Michael inherits the house complete with antique furniture in Charleston, a very nice estate that in itself is worth millions. Michael has the love of his life just as Gramps had one special woman in his life and now to have this special place to live in where his "gramps" had lived and worked the last years of his life, just seemed to be miraculous.
It is only after he has moved into the house he finds an unpublished manuscript that he feels his gramps wanted him to find. The story is titles "An impossible Love" by Gerard Warner, He sits reading many hours at a time and feels drawn closer to his grandfather. It is within the story in this book that he realizes there was a secret in the life of his grandparents.
I felt Michaels feelings as he read this story and his unbelief that turns to belief as he turns the pages- when he knew what he was reading.
You will want to read this book and discover why this author led his life as he did and why he chose to let his grandson know his story and for the family to decide what to do with it.
What a Discovery - A story within a story-I loved reading them both.
Are secrets meant to be kept even after someone dies?
Thanks Dan for a wonderful story




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Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock

Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Travelers Rest written by Ann Tatlock

This book has two stories intermingled so well you would think its one. Jane Morrow is a beautiful young woman in love with a young man who happens to join the national guard hoping it will make their future better for them, he plans to do schooling and save monies.
The best laid plans dont always turn out the way we want them to and this couple had their world turned upside down when Seth was severely injured while in Iraq.
Now Jane heads to VA Hospital in ashville feeling that she loves this young man and no injury can make a difference to her, she meets Seth again who is the same -yet not the same-young man. Seth is having a very hard time accepting his life now that it is so limited-he is a quad, nothing works below his neck. His dreams are the happiest times when he sees himself as he was whole and happy.

Jane meets several folks at this place where soldiers come to heal, one is Truman a black man who has a secret and was a Doctor before retiring to this hosp as an ex-soldier. Truman lived in Travelers Rest in his early life but left abruptly leaving a love behind that haunts his lifetime. A choice was made and his life changed in a moment..

She meets Jon Paul a talanted piano player who has a disease that is taking his sight from him, he doesnt live here only visits to see his sister a nurse working there. Jon Paul is a lawyer in his families firm and has little sight now but Jane's love of music make these two fast friends. She sits many times and listens as this talanted young man plays beautiful music at the hospital.

I want to tell you all their stories but you need to read the book because they are good ones you will want to "feel" as you sit reading. I was impressed with the way that Ann Tatlock has written these characters into a story and made so many important- yet focused mainly on Seth&Jane.
Choices have made changes in the lives of Seth and Truman. once made we must live out the consequences as just like dominos they fall into place in our lives.

I was given this book by Bethany House for an honest review, Thank you




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"Wildflower Bride" by Janet Tronstad

Wildflower Bride in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Janet Tronstad has a winner with her Dry Creek Series and this book "Wildflower Bride in Dry Creek" shows us life in small town USA.

Angelina grew up with bodyguards and money in her life, yet one young man and his giving heart captures her interest. He thought she was just a young spoiled girl yet something about her soaked into his heart and stayed....
Angelina grew into a lovely young woman and became a Christian and wanted to share her fortune and her life with others, knowing that Tyler had lived in Dry Creek, Montana and that he was the only young man she had any "real" interest in high school, when she found out he had died in a bomb explosion she planned a hometown memorial with his brothers and Mother.
Angela's dad wants her to marry his lawyer and settle down, He thinks she is running away from this when she goes to Dry Creek- and just maybe she is...
Then the unthinkable happens and she finds out that Tyler Stone is not dead and very much alive. she must let his family know on the eve of the memorial service that had been planned and it turns into a party instead-welcoming Tyler home again.
There have been secrets from the beginning that Tyler doesnt know and he carries a lot of undeserved guilt and does not let anyone get to close to him since he grew up.
Can Angie -as she is known in Dry Creek, get close to him-show him how she has felt about him for a very long time now. Will Tyler come back home to stay and give his brothers a chance so they can truly be a family? The Ranch is looking good with both brothers married and His Mother is home again and happier then she has been in a very long time.
Reading this story you will want to drive down that road to Dry Creek and take a peak at the Stone family as they sit down to one of their after church meals with plenty of food and fellowship of family and friends.




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McKaslin Clan as a new story with Luke the "Montana Cowboy", by Jillian Hart

Montana Cowboy by Jillian Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jillian Hart and another book in her McKaslin Clan "Montana Cowboy"

What was this california girl doing to start a friendship online with a Montana Cowboy? She is really liking the way this guy sounds and when she goes to meet him -Oh my she is sinking further and further into this "Friendship" they have.
Honor Crosby -big time city girl is lonesome in Montana and begins a friendship with Luke the "Montana Cowboy" on Goodreads site,online. They become fast friends.
Luke McKaslin is a true blue country boy and loves his life working with his brother Hunter in their dairy business. He loves it so much he has names for his girls(cows).
This couple find many things in comon and Honor fits right in with the McKaslin clan, she goes to many of the outings and the sisters learn to love her and start matchmaking for the two of them.
Luke has had a bad relationship in his past and so has Honor and they think this has to be a friendship, No Love feelings are allowed- but somehow they do sneak in there and before they know it each has strong feelings and try to hide them-thinking the other only wants friendship.
Can they let go and let those true feelings come out and share their lives, can Honor want to be in Montana for all time, Honor is hoping Luke will ask her to stay by the end of this book and you will want to read and see the interaction between these two good friends from Goodreads.

Thanks Jillian for another great story and I think I see another coming when Hunter meets his old girlfriend at the end of this book, I sure hope so anyway....



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The Full Circle Series "Firestorm" book #6

Firestorm by Lisa Tawn Bergren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Full Circle Series Book#6 "Firestorm" by Lisa Tawn Bergren

I had not read any of the others in this series but "Firestorm" is a great stand alone novel to read.
I was drawn into the story of Reyne Oldre from the beginning, she worked with fires. This is not my usual type of reading, but I soon found myself loving all the terms used in the language of folks fighting big-time fires.
Reyne had a real bad experience at "Oxbow" the grand-daddy of fires and lost some of her team members, going through a very harrowing time herself and had the nightmares still from time to time. She had gone into research to stay with the job she loved but stay out of the field work.
It was at a crucial moment in a meeting to win over some big folks to get a grant for her project that the door burst open literally and she met Logan McCabe.
Logan was a Smoke-jumper and he too had a project to win over these guys for a grant to help. He had a way of being so charming - telling jokes and all the men knew him and before she knew what was happening Logan had taken over the meeting, she was so upset to say the least-needless to say Logan and Reyne did not hit if off well at that first meeting.
This book tells of a relationship of three women who had been friends for sometime and one of them has cancer (uncurable cancer). Their friendship is one for all and all for one-so to speak.
You will meet many wonderful folks that work with fires and they bond so that whenever they are thrown together fighting fires they work as one.
Soon Logan and Reyne are put together to do a project and it doesnt take long for them both to know they are in deep trouble as their attraction and friendship grows....
I hope you will take the time to read this one as it is a great story and I learned a lot about fighting fires and the courageous folks that work together to put them out.
I was given this book by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing grp for an honest review and this one was a pleasure to do..



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Book#2 in The Amish Seymour series "A Harvest of Hearts by Laura Hilton

A Harvest of Hearts by Laura V. Hilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Laura Hilton -The Amish of Seymour series-book@2 "A Harvest of Hearts"

Matthew Yoder is part of a group of men that is in a "swap" of men to leave lancaster county and make a fresh start in Missouri. He comes from a large family and knows there wont be much left for him in way of farmland and he has a dream to grow blueberries.
Shanna is a strong willed young woman who left the amish community to have a chance to get educated to be a nurse. She and her dad had always clashed about things and they never seem to realize how much they loved one another. When her classmates go on a mission trip that Shanna cannot afford to do between semesters she decides to visit home for the summer. Now she will meet Matthew and more importantly He will meet her, A close friendship soon blossoms between them and they are both surprised when they feel a stronger pull toward a different type of relationship.
Matthew knows he cannot have a relationship with an english person and prays that Shanna will relize that she needs to come back to the community-He opens her eyes to the possiblity of being a midwife to the community and pursuing a closer walk with him.
Can the amish community forget the wild young woman that Shanna has always been? Will the Bishop and elders be a little lenient? Will Shanna make some good choices that will bring closure and happiness to a lot of folks in the family and even let herself say Yes to Matthew and be his "Frau" for all time....
I am looking forward to reading book #3"Promised to Another", Thanks Laura for a great story.



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Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Sadie has her hopes up that her Papa will ok her chance to move from Indiana to Kansas where her cousin Sid has been working and secured a job for Sadie at a general store and also a chance to sing in a opera house. Sadie has wanted to sing since she was a little girl, God has given her a great talant and she wants to share it...
Sadies family has been in dire straights since her stepfather became injured and she could work and send monies home to help out. This stepfather is dear to Sadie because he has always cared for her and loved her as if she were his own.
After moving to Kansas she meets Thad McKane who is sherriff of that fair city. The two young people instantly like one another but each has their jobs to do so must put their feelings on hold.
Thad is investigating a boot-legging operation that the Mayor is afraid will hurt his town.
You will find a lovable couple running the general store Misses Melva & Shelva Baxter who adore the new clerk they have hired to help them. Their brother Asa also hires her to sing in his new opera house when he hears her beautiful voice...
Can Love blossom in the midst of all this chaos as the sherriff unravels the mystery in WHOM is the illegal person behind the liquor operation...
Sadie finds her boss is not what she thought he was after she becomes his employee and finds herself drawn into a life that is not the christian woman she is, will she continue to do the job though her heart cries out for the shame she feels? Her family needs the money, what must she do....
I enjoyed reading and reviewing this book I received from Bethany House Publishers free..
If you like a country setting-a beautiful young woman that sings from the heart-a couple of lovable characters Misses Melva&Shelva Baxter,a dastardly mean boss-Handsome sherriff, you are going to love reading this story....



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